Wine is produced by the fermentation of fruit, typically grapes though a number of other fruits are also quite popular - such as plum, elderberry and blackcurrant. Non-grape wines are called fruit wine or country wine. Other products made from starch based materials, such as barley wine, rice wine, and sake, from other fermentable material such as honey (mead), or that are distilled, such as brandy, are not wines. Wine grapes mostly grow between the 30th and the 50th degree of latitude, in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Grapes will sometimes grow beyond this range and minor amounts of wine are made in some very unexpected places (such as tropical Zimbabwe) but these are abberations.
Sherry is a fortified wine, made in Spain from three types of grapes: Palomino, Pedro Ximénez, and Muscat (Moscatel). Sherry-style wines made in other countries often use other grape varieties. Sherry differs from other wines because of how it is treated after fermentation. It is first fortified with brandy and then if destined to be fino style a yeast called flor is allowed to grow on top. Oloroso style is fortified to a strength where the flor cannot grow. (In contrast, port wine is fortified to a higher percentage of alcohol than sherry, effectively preventing the growth of any yeast.)
When a six-pack of Bud Ice won't cut it, you need to bring wine, but how can you tell the good grape from the bad? There's so many wines to choose from and the last time you had anything opened with a cork was when you accidentally took communion. But don't worry. We've broken down tons of different wines so you'll know what to bring to any occasion. Hangovers sold separately. Class up your next party with stuff that doesn’t come in cans. But don’t go crazy—we still love those SPAM-and-jelly sandwiches.
When most people not named Pierre, Yves, or Frenchie walk into their local liquor store and peruse the wines, they don't know a bargain Burgundy from a budget Bordeaux. Until you get up into the fifty-dollar-a-bottle range, a wine’s vintage year just complicates matters. To choose a good wine, all you need to know is the grape.
Things a Man Should Know About Drinking
Champagne is a place. Bordeaux is a place. Champale is not a place.
Grappa is to lighter fluid as ouzo is to lighter fluid.
When throwing a party, break the seals on all liquor bottles, lest guests should hesitate to open them and come to doubt your hospitality. Better yet: Hire a bartender.
That sangria means "bloodletting" is more a cautionary note than a simple fact.
A thought for the holidays: Gift wine should not be recognizable as having come from a grocery store.
Gift wine, being a gift, is not for tonight's party. Unless the host opens it.
Decent wine costs fifteen dollars. Good wine costs thirty-five dollars. Nobody can tell the difference.
Campari needs to be shaken with ice and strained into a martini glass.
Chardonnay
Growing almost everywhere, this grape is responsible for some of the world’s best white wines. Expect a buttery flavor, with hints of apples, pears, or citrus; if the wine’s been stored in oak barrels, it takes on vanilla and oak flavors. Chardonnay’s a crowd-pleaser and great with salmon and chicken.
Sauvignon Blanc
This grape, which thrives in cooler climates like New Zealand and the northern Loire Valley of France, has a dry, crisp taste tempered with faint traces of cut grass and berries. A great palate-cleanser between hors d’oeuvres, it won’t overpower lightly flavored foods like red snapper.
Riesling
Happy in both warm and cool climates, this German grape produces a range of wines, all featuring crisp, tart fruit flavors like green apple and orange. Sweet Rieslings are excellent with desserts; the bolder dry Rieslings (our picks) can hold their own against the assault of flavorful seafood like scallops and bass.
Pinot Grigio
This Italian grape thrives in cool climates like Washington State and the Alsace region of France. It produces light, aromatic wines tasting subtly like honey, best drunk by themselves or in tandem with cool seafood salads and warmblondes.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Like Chardonnay, this grape grows almost everywhere and makes some of the most popular wines. With strong tastes of black currants, green pepper, chocolate, and cedar, Cabernet’s made for meat lovers. It’s bold enough to take on rare steak or a leg of lamb.
Pinot Noir
The best Pinot Noirs come from California, New Zealand, and France’s Burgundy region. The grape has a smooth flavor with hints of raspberry, strawberry, and cherry; its wine, the lightest of the reds, can be overwhelmed by anything stronger than chicken or rabbit. Sip it.
Merlot
Similar to Cabernet Sauvignon, but lighter and fruitier, Merlot can easily replace its more serious brother for casual settings. Add a touch of class to your next burger or pizza date by sharing a bottle of Merlot. (Bordeaux wine, incidentally, is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc.)
Syrah
This grape (in Australia, it’s called Shiraz) produces a flavorful, deep red wine with hints of mixed spices, pepper, and raspberries. It’s the middle-palate wine you want to add a little extra spice to your steak, or to cut the edge of well-seasoned meats like salami and pungent cheeses.
Sangiovese
Produced in the Chianti and Montepulciano areas of Italy and in California, wines made from this grape remind tasters of cherries, spices, and tobacco. Mellow and perfect with pasta and tomato sauce, veal scaloppine, and fiery, long-legged Sicilian types.
Zinfandel
Grown only in California, this grape comes in red, white, and rosé varieties. The red is very rich and tastes like blackberries and pepper; its strong flavor complements beef, veal, or roast pork outstandingly, and its spiciness does a great job of warming the body on cold winter nights.
The origins of brandy are unclear, and tied to the development of distillation. Concentrated alcoholic beverages were known in ancient Greece and Rome and may have a history going back to ancient Babylon. Brandy as it is known today first began to appear in the 12th century and became generally popular in the 14th century.
Initially wine was distilled as a preservation method and as a way to make the wine easier for merchants to transport. It was also thought that wine was originally distilled to lessen the tax which was assessed by volume. The intent was to add the water removed by distillation back to the brandy shortly before consumption. It was discovered that after having been stored in wooden casks, the resulting product had improved over the original wine. There are three primary types of brandy. Grape brandy is the type that is meant if brandy is used by itself.
Grape brandies are arguably best drunk in a tulip shaped glass or a snifter, at cool room temperature. Often it is slightly warmed, by holding the glass in the cup of the palm or gently heating with a candle. However, heating it causes alcohol vapor to become very pungent so that the aromas are overpowered. Brandy, like whisky and red wine, exhibits more pleasant aromas and flavors at a lower temperature, e.g., 16 degrees Celsius (61 degrees Fahrenheit). In most homes, this would imply that the brandy should in fact rather be cooled for maximum enjoyment. Furthermore, alcohol (which makes up 40% of a typical brandy) becomes thin as it is heated, but more viscous when cooled leading to a fuller and smoother mouthfeel with less of a burning sensation. The European Union legally enforces Cognac as the exclusive name for brandy produced and distilled in the Cognac area of France, and Armagnac from the Gascony area of France, using traditional techniques.
Grape brandy is produced by the distillation of fermented grape juice. There are four main subtypes of grape brandies.
Cognac comes from the Cognac region in France, and is double distilled using pot stills. Popular brands include Martell, Rémy Martin, Hennessy, Ragnaud-Sabourin, Delamain and Courvoisier (a favourite drink of Napoleon).
Armagnac is made from grapes of the Armagnac region in Southwest of France (Gers, Landes, Lot-et-Garonne). It is single continuous distilled in a copper stills and aged in oak casks from Gascony or Limousin. Armagnac was the first distilled spirit in France. Armagnacs have a specificity: they offer vintages qualities. Popular brands are Darroze, Baron de Sigognac, Larressingle, Delord, Laubade, Gélas and Janneau.
Grape brandies from other countries such as South Africa, Spain, Mexico etc. South African grape brandies are, by law, made almost exactly as in Cognac, using a double-distillation process in copper pot stills followed by ageing in oak barrels for a minimum of three years.
American grape brandy is almost always from California.
Pomace brandy is produced from fermented grape pulp, seeds, and stems that remain after the grapes are pressed for their juice. Examples include the Italian grappa and the French marc.
Fruit brandies are distilled from fruits other than grapes. Apple, plum, peach, cherry, raspberry, blackberry, and apricot are the most commonly used fruit. Fruit brandy is usually clear, 80 to 90 proof, and usually drunk chilled or over ice. Calvados is an apple brandy from the French region of Lower Normandy. Apple is pressed into cider, fermented with yeast and double distilled. Kirschwasser is a fruit brandy made from cherries. Slivovitz is a fruit brandy made from plums.
